"He could radically return the country's narrative back to possibility and promise, and away from punishment and division. " http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hopes-for-a-happy-ending-literary-voices-on-the-american-election-980010.html
That is exactly how I felt about Barack Obama after Tuesday night's rally in Norfolk. Senator Obama inspires hope and positive action. His message of unity and progress, of personal responsibility and duty to family instills a sense of integrity for the American people to share and to call their own. He is such a refreshing contrast to what I have come to call, "The Bullies" currently running (and running for) our nation.
As Mr. Obama says, "We are the UNITED states of America." I hope my father begins to see what a great leader Barack Obama is and that my choice to "rally for Obama" regardless of my father's threat to "disown" me, is the right choice for me and it is my right to choose the candidate I feel is best for our country. As a McCain supporter, my father has chosen to punish me for supporting Obama. As an Obama supporter, I choose to pray for my dad that one day he will see people beyond their skin color.
Rene.
This past week-end, my step daughter and I volunteered for the Biden Rally in Suffolk. We helped set up chairs and made posters the night before the Rally then came back early the next morning to volunteer again and ended up in the "cheer leaders" group! It was fun. Our group were to keep the crowd cheering, clapping and waving their arms as we waited for Joe Biden and then as he gave his speech. I heard that it was the first time a candidate from a presidential ticket has ever held a Rally in our city. Joe Biden was a dynamic speaker and actually rather handsome on stage! Paige was surprised when after the speech Senator Biden held a few babies, she didn't know that was an age-long politcian's thing.
Tomorrow Barack Obama is speaking in Norfolk at Harbour Park and guess what!? Yep, Paige and I are volunteering again! We will arrive at 4 p.m. and stay until after the rally which starts at 9:30 p.m. It's gonna be a loooooong but exciting day!
Here are a few photos from Saturday's Rally with Senator Joe Biden:
We've got twelve more days until the election, that leaves only two more week-ends to go out there and keep the momentum up. Face to face canvassing is the most effective way of convincing undecided voters that Obama is the right man for President and the most effective way to make sure all those Obama supporters actually go to the polls and vote!
Canvassing door-to-door is also fun! I talk to about 150 people every week-end. The majority of those people are good kind folk who are interested in the issues and who love our nation enough to make intelligent and informed decisions. Sometimes folks get a little complacent though and need a gentle reminder that "Yes, your vote really DOES count".
Come on out and canvass with us these last two week-ends. Throw your enthusiasm out there and let's make a difference! Contact the Suffolk Campaign for Change office and become part of history. You might even get a piece of Sweet Potato Pie!
Suffolk Campaign for Change140 W. Washington Street Suite 103Suffolk, Virginia(757) 934-0856
Now that my husband showed me how to post images on this blog, I thought I'd post a couple of graphics I made to print on our own personal tee-shirts. It is easy to print them on iron-on transfer sheets, iron them on and wear! They are simple, but they actually look great on the shirts! Obama is such a positive force that artist of all genre have been creating works for, of and about him and his vision.
How awesome is that?! A political leader who inspires people to be creative and to be polite and respectful.
My step-daughter and I wear the tee-shirts while cavassing. I like that they convey powerful singular words that describe Barack Obama.
This next one I didn't design, it was designed by Shepard Fairey, but I printed a copy of it on a teeshirt because it is my favorite graphic of Obama so far.
I stopped in to the downtown Suffolk Campaign for Change office today to drop off some odds and ends as I was on my way to the DMV to correct my address on my drivers license, it needed to be straightened out before election day. Anyway, I met Darla! Hi Darla!!! There she was, busy as a bee in the offices. The office was very full of activities, new posters, big photos, food and a great big monitor counting down the minutes until the election. It was very encouraging, especially after the low turn out we had over the week-end for canvassers.
There is a little store in the little "mall" where our office is. I've been buying Obama buttons there but end up giving them away while canvassing. I am down to my last one so I stopped in the store to buy some more and he was out of them! He had several other designs but I didn't like them nearly as much. I bought one but will hold out for the promised arrival of more of the kind he had before. He (I should learn his name) also sells Obama tee-shirts and hats. I ought to buy a hat, I like hats, but I make my own tee-shirts by printing my own designs on iron on transfers paper then I iron them on to plain tee-shirts. I also make refrigerator magnets that parody the the 'Virginia is for Lovers' logo. It has Virginia is for Obama instead.
Also, over the week-end I made a mini-poster in response to Obama's joke about "Contrary to popular belief, I was not born in a manger.....I was instead born on Krypton..."
Of course I also printed each of those designs on tee-shirts.
I wish I had a button maker!
My friends from the U.K. are almost as much into this election as we are. Their newspapers are filled with stories about the candidates.
My friend from Swansea University in Wales shared a link to the news he regularly reads:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/19/obama-democrats-carolina-charlotte
Read the whole article, It has some great outsider observations. The story about Judie Almond, for example, is noteworthy.
My favorite bit though, is this quote from the article about the Obama campaign: "...it might be heralded as the start of something almost revolutionary."
Yep.
This editorial is fun too:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/19/obama-mccain-democrats-republicans-cameron
My favorite part is this quote:
Roughly speaking, Mr Obama intends to raise taxes for relatively wealthy Americans, cut them for the middle classes and temporarily suspend them for businesses that create jobs.
The opinon moves on to U.K. politics from there but you can see how ours greatly influences it. We NEED a president who shows and IS a positive face to the world. America needs Barack Obama and the world needs him too.
I started volunteering for the Suffolk Campaign for Change office for two reasons, because I sooooo believe that Barack Obama is the best choice for our next President and because I was looking for a way to meet people in Suffolk. We moved to Suffolk only about a year ago and since I work from home I don't get much opportunity to meet people. When an Obama canvasser knocked on my door about a month ago and asked me (among other things) if I would like to volunteer I thought, "Heck yeah! I can maybe make a friend or two AND spend some time doing something other than staring at my monitor all day, something that makes a difference in our weary world"!
I was a professional canvasser years ago for Clean Water Action Project and I loved it. I became a field manager within the first year and never lost my enthusiasm for the grass-roots system of trying to make our planet, our country and our communties a better place. "Think Globally, Act Locally" was our motto. I believed that then and I believe it now. Barack and Michelle Obama have reignited that part of my spirit that had slowly dipped into dormancy over the last decade or so, and I am grateful to have found that place in my soul again.
After a month of canvassing for Presidential Hopeful Obama, I've come to think that if everyone spent just a few hours a week volunteering for something they believe in, something they feel will better their community and the lives of others around them, whether it be politics, a free clinic, the arts, their children's PTA, public radio, an animal shelter or an environmental advocacy group, our world will be a much happier, considerate and content place for all. Is that socialist thinking? Some people may think so, but I think it is just being neighborly in a global community. I think it is just being a responsible and caring citizen.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Obama for helping me find that part of my spirit again!
Oh, and yes, I think I am finally starting to make some new friends!
Last night we had a meeting with some of the more enthusiastic and dedicated canvassers from the Suffolk Campaign for Change office. We are set now to continue canvassing southern Suffolk to make sure everybody who is interested in restoring faith and pride in America gets out to the polls on November 4th and votes for Barack Obama! We will be heading out today with our teams from several Suffolk locations all week-end long and every week-end and the Monday and Tuesday of the election. Our Suffolk office Campaign manager for the south-side, Justin Baker, gave us an inspiring speech to keep us motivated and ever more dedicated. I can't wait to knock on more doors today! I LOVE canvassing for Barack Obama!
I tried to make some home made sweet potato pies to bring to the office this morning, but darn! Those sweet potaoes take forever to pre-cook! It was nearly 10 p.m. before they were done and they needed to cool down before I could make pie out of them. Sorry Justin and Tony - the pies will not make it to the office until Sunday.
